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Obama Discusses NBA, Ticket Prices, LeBron
And Arizona's Immigration Law During Interview |
President Barack Obama in an interview with TNT's Marv Albert said the NBA is "in a good place right now." During the taped interview, which aired last night, Obama said, "The way they’re calling the game right now returns basketball to where it’s supposed to be, more of a finesse game." He added, "The biggest change I’d probably propose right now is the commissioner needs to figure out how to price tickets so that ordinary people can go to the games. I mean, I think that ticket prices have gotten so high, and I understand that salaries are high, ticket prices are going to be high, but you know, you hate to think that the only person that can go to a game is somebody who’s got a corporate account. And that’s something that I’d love all professional sports, that’s not just NBA, but all professional sports to be thinking about that a little more." Obama weighed in on the Suns' decision to speak out against Arizona's new immigration law, and he said, "I think it's terrific that the Suns, who obviously feel very strongly about their community, recognize that a big part of their community felt threatened by this new law. You know, when I was growing up, you had figures like Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell who routinely would talk about the world around them. You wouldn’t always agree with them, but that sense that people are engaged in the big issues of the day, I think, is a positive thing. I don’t think that either players or franchises need to always steer away from controversy." When the Chicago native was asked about LeBron James signing with the Bulls this offseason, he said, "I don't want to meddle. I will say this, (Derrick) Rose, (Joakim) Noah … it’s a pretty good core. You know, you could see LeBron fitting in pretty well" ("NBA Tipoff," TNT, 5/25).
